FishKeepingBanter.com - View Single Post - Help me fill my Rio 125 :-)

FishNoob · December 3rd 05, 10:05 AM posted to rec.aquaria.freshwater.misc

In article ,
says...
My bet is that the gorgeous blue ones are Malawi cichlids so unless you
want to go very specialist and put up with a lot of fighting and
"murders" steer well clear of these....you can't mix these with
non-Malawis although I do keep a Plec with mine but that's it.

I don't think they could have been Malawi cichlids then, as they were
in a community tank with quite a wide selection of other fish. I'll
have to call her and ask her again what they are.

Loaches don't eat algae but will eat snails.

Ah, I got that wrong then.

I have a great passion for Clown Loaches

No, really? You? ;-)

which you might just about consider (you can always move
them to your next upgraded "bigger" tank as they grow - lol)

Stoppit you! LOL I did see a really pretty clown loach yesterday, but
I resisted.

For algae eaters if it becomes a problem you are best off looking at a
small plec - I have a snowball and a queen arabesque - they don't get
too big, or siamese algae eaters - although finding a true SAE is quite
hard - I actually have Flying Foxes and they do eat some algae but not a
great deal - otos are also a good option - nice and small but quite
sensitive to water conditions - I've heard it said they either thrive or
die...if they thrive they will last a long time.

In terms of substrate it really depends what you want. Personally I
steer clear of sand sand mainly because of what I have read about it
possibly getting impacted. I do have coral/marine sand in my Malawi tank
but it is not as fine as most peoples idea of sand. I've had plants
survive and do very well in gravel - (not too large pieces as this can
also lead to trapped gases).

So maybe a fine gravel would be my best choice?

Unless you filled the tank with water and added fish right away the
bacteria will no longer be there. It needs fish waste to survive/feed
it. So you are looking at cycling again...

There was only a gap of a few hours before the tank was up and
running again, though there were no fish in it for a couple of days.
The filter sponges were transported in bags with tank-water in them,
not submerged, but kept wet. I was always planning to add fish slowly
and monitor the water carefully anyway though. There are two danios
in there now, and I'll leave it like that for a day or two while
testing water frequently.

but this will be easier as you
already have an established tank as you can seed it. If you are planning
on moving the existing fish from the Rena take the filter with it...then
add new fish gradually and monitor the water

But if I add the filter from the Rena, I'll need to move all the fish
from it too. In retrospect, it might have been better to toss the
filter media from the Rio straight into the Rena when I got home.

- there should be little or
no risk to your existing fish especially if you take the gravel and
ornaments as well.

No ornaments, but I'll take some of the gravel.

I would never take rocks or pebbles from a beach or even the garden come
to that. Rocks/pebbles from the beach will be ingrained with salt which
you don't want for a freshwater set up - as far other rocks/pebbles you
run the risk of them leaching minerals into the water.

Hmmm...there are already some stones in the Rena that we collected
from the beach. We tested them with vinegar before putting them in,
and I boiled them too. People here seemed to think that was fine when
we did it...there are a few shells too (remember I have naturally low
pH water).

I know some
people might but it is safest to buy stuff already treated for
freshwater aquariums

Much more expensive though!

and even then I rinse it thoroughly. When chosing
the decor for a tank I usually look at the fish I'm hoping to keep and
then try to mimic what they would find in nature...strange how a lot of
my tanks have driftwood - hmmm - the only exception being the ocean rock
for the Mbunas (Malawis)...

IIRC, driftwood can soften the water, so I've avoided it so far.

If I remember rightly your Rena is much the same size as the one I have
in the kitchen (15 gall) - sits very nicely on the work surface...just
curious as to how I will do a mega 14 people Christmas dinner but will
face that when I have to - :-)

Catering for a family of seven on a daily basis, I'm not willing to
give up my kitchen counter! LOL

I think the Rena will go in the dining-room, and the Rio will go
where the Rena is now (in the dining-end of the kitchen). The Rio is
a very nice tank, and I thought of putting it in the living-room, but
decided maintenance would be more awkward that way.

--
FishNoob